Retired Metropolitan Police officers jailed for sharing baby abuse photos with chief inspector who took his personal life

Two retired Metropolitan Police officers have been jailed after sharing hundreds of kid intercourse abuse photos with a serving chief inspector who took his personal life earlier than he might be charged.

Jeremy Laxton and Jack Addis, who’re each 63 and left the Met greater than a decade in the past, served with Richard Watkinson, 49, within the drive whereas based mostly in Ealing, west London, from the late Nineties up till 2002.

Southwark Crown Court heard that whereas on responsibility as a chief inspector Watkinson shared info and a picture of a 14-year-old boy, who was the topic of a lacking particular person investigation, with Laxton for his or her “sexual gratification”.

Laxton was jailed for 5 years and 9 months and Addis was sentenced to a few years and 9 months on Friday after earlier admitting to conspiring with Watkinson to distribute or present indecent photos of kids.

The choose, Mr Justice Wall, stated the officers had stayed in contact “at least in part” due to their “shared interest in sexual images of children”.

“You had each been policemen and, although not working directly in child protection, must have been fully aware of the damage done to real children by the filming of such disturbing images,” he stated.

He stated Watkinson’s actions in downloading a picture of a sufferer of a sexual crime from the police pc and sending it to Laxton amounted to “serious misconduct” and informed him: “He did it for your benefit and I have no doubt your only interest was a sexual one.”

More than 5,000 footage and movies have been shared on a Toshiba exhausting drive present in Watkinson’s mom’s home.

The courtroom heard how the lads would meet – together with for an Indian meal – to switch indecent photos of kids to the machine, which served as a library they might all use.

Prosecutor James Dawes KC stated among the materials included infants and youngsters underneath the age of 5.

Investigators found different gadgets, together with laptops and cell phones, in a specifically constructed cover constructed into the wall cavity underneath the steps of a property Laxton owned in Lincolnshire.

Mr Dawes stated a video discovered was described by a police officer as “one of the most disturbing” baby abuse photos in existence.

Laxton additionally pleaded responsible to a few counts of creating indecent photos of a kid, possession of a prohibited picture of a kid, possessing excessive pornographic photos, possession of hashish, and deliberately encouraging or aiding the fee of the offence of misconduct in a public workplace.

He joined the Met in 1980 and retired at constable rank in 2011, whereas Addis, who joined in 1978, attained the rank of sergeant and served as a firearms officer for 15 years earlier than becoming a member of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in 2010.

Watkinson, who served as chief inspector for neighbourhoods policing on the West Area Command unit, was discovered lifeless at his residence in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire, on 12 January – the identical day he was because of reply bail to be charged – and the courtroom heard he took his personal life.

He had been suspended since his arrest in July 2021 and confronted the conspiracy cost, in addition to prosecution over allegations of voyeurism, misconduct in public workplace and three counts of creating indecent photographs of a kid.

Addis, from Dumfries, is already serving an 18-month sentence for voyeurism and possession of indecent photos in Scotland, whereas Laxton beforehand admitted different indecent photos offences at Lincoln magistrates’ courtroom.